The concept of condiment dispensing containers has been practiced for many years. These concepts can range from the relatively simple such as, for example, the ubiquitous salt and pepper shakers, glass bottles, and plastic squeeze bottles, to more complex systems for dispensing ketchup from sealed containers into paper cups at fast-food restaurants. Regardless of design, the general principle involves a reservoir of the condiment and an opening or dispenser through which a user applies the condiment to their food.
A variety of condiment dispensing utensil designs include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,317,691 to Fields; 7,175,215 to Harris; and 5,873,167 to Mason, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. A variety of specific spoon designs have also been contemplated for dispensing various edible substances. Representative examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,895 to Lee; 3,931,741 to Ceccarelli; and 6,279,233 to Cameron.
These configurations have not provided optimal performance in controlling the amount of a condiment that is dispensed while eating. Typically, the amount of condiment that is applied to a meal will depend on the user shaking, pouring, or squeezing the condiment container until a satisfactory amount has been dispensed. In such an arrangement, the user may not be aware of the portion size that they are consuming with each application of the condiment. This situation may lead to an undesired excess consumption of the condiment or other edible substance. This excess consumption may lead to non-compliance with a dietary regime and, over a period of time, undesired weight gain. Additionally, when applying a condiment directly to a meal, as in the case of pouring salad dressing onto a bowl of salad, the distribution of dressing over each bite of salad is often not uniform unless a large quantity of dressing is applied. Again, this over application of calorie-laden dressing may be undesirable.
Furthermore, the application of a condiment to a food product or meal can cause undesirable characteristics to the food product if the food product is saved for later consumption. For example, in the case of salad dressing applied to a bowl of salad, if the salad is not consumed in its entirety and/or immediately, application of the salad dressing to the lettuce causes the lettuce to become soggy over time, and can render the salad inconsumable or undesirable to eat at a later time.
While the above-referenced patents have suggested various improvements to the field of condiment dispensing utensils, there remains a need to identify improved designs that have a mechanism for controlling the application of a specific quantity of a condiment from a container, while still providing a convenient, uniform, and cost-effective method of applying the condiment to each bite of the user's meal.